Twilight's Demise
by SportsMetalWWEandPonyFan2578
Summary: So, this is it. My first FanFiction ever. Basically, it's about what would happen if Twilight received some shocking news from Celestia and how it would affect her friends in Ponyville. Rated T for dark themes. Please read and review. I welcome all comments and criticism as this is a work in progress. Thanks in advance!
1. Libraries and Letters

It was a normal day in Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle and her dragon assistant Spike were busily rearranging the books in the library where they lived. Twilight had a bit of an obsession with keeping things organized. Sometimes a lack of organization or a mess up in scheduling could cause an onset of neurosis. It had happened once before, and she had nearly lost all of her friends because of it.

So every week, she made it a point to make sure everything was organized and her schedule was all set, so as to combat the neurotic cravings. She didn't know where they came from, but they could happen at the oddest of times. She took a look at the clipboard that was magically hovering above her horn. _OK…that's done…that's done…that's done…AH!_ She screamed internally, _I haven't written Celestia once this week! Oh, no! Not again!_ Then she stopped short. _Wait a minute…she said I didn't have to write her every week. Whew! Crisis averted._

"Yo, Twilight!" Spike called, "where did you want this 'Equine Histories of the World' book? I know it goes in the history section, but is it in the pony history subsection or the world history subsection?"

"Uh…go ahead and put it in the middle. It kinda bridges the gap!" She called back. Then she took a step back and looked around at her collection of books. It was massive, and she'd read almost all of them. All of them, except one. There was a book in her collection that Princess Celestia herself had made her swear up and down she would never read. Of course, that didn't mean her curiosity wasn't piqued. After all, she was a young pony, and young ponies are always curious about such things.

The book was called "The Movement," and, though her strive for knowledge had always caused a bit of a magnetic attraction to the book, she had kept her promise to the princess. Celestia had told her that the book was full of things that no pony should ever see except for the princess herself. She considered it classified information.

 _But then…why would she leave the book with me? I mean, why have a book if you're not gonna read it?_ Twilight asked herself. It was a truly puzzling situation. _But, no matter. I'll have time to ponder this later. Right now, it's time to relax._

With the shelving and organization done, she sent Spike off to the market to pick up some things for their home. Once he was gone, she pulled out one of her favorite Daring Do adventure stories and poured herself a cup of tea. She curled up in bed and began reading. She had always enjoyed these stories and had even introduced her friend Rainbow Dash to them.

She had barely started in chapter one when Spike came running back in hurriedly. "Twilight! Twilight!" He shouted. Twilight leapt out of bed and raced downstairs. "Spike, what's going on? You sound as if Ponyville's been set ablaze!"

"Twilight, I've just received a letter from Celestia. It's been marked 'urgent!'"

Twilight knew the princess would never mark a letter to her unless it truly was of the utmost importance. So she ripped the seal off the scroll and used her magic to open it. "Hm…it says here Celestia wants to see me in Canterlot immediately. She also says, 'no matter what, do not bring your friends.'"

The young pony looked up as curiosity flashed all over her purple eyes. What could this mean? Why didn't Celestia want her to bring her friends? She had always been welcoming to them before. Wasn't the whole point of coming to Ponyville to learn about "the magic of friendship?"

"Well…I guess when the princess calls, we answer. Come on, Spike. Pack your things. And don't tell anypony where we're going, OK?"

"Not even-"

"No, Spike."

"OK," Spike said. He had hoped that at least Rarity would come along. He had been itching to spend time alone with the white coated, blue eyed beauty that had stolen his heart. Unfortunately, it seemed Celestia had other ideas. So Spike and Twilight packed their things into a couple of saddlebags. "Alright," she said, "let's go."

They had just enough time to catch the mid-afternoon train to the city in the sky. Twilight always wondered why they called it that. It wasn't really in the sky, it was more hanging off the side of the biggest mountain in Equestria. But that's what they called it and they stuck with it. _Then again, there are a lot of things about this world I don't understand,_ she said to herself as they arrived at the train station, _like why do ponies keep pets? We're animals, too. Why do some animals talk and some don't? The cows talk, but the goats don't. The sheep talk, but the cats don't. It doesn't make any sense!_

"Uh, Twilight?" Spike asked

"Just a minute"

"But-"

"Not now, Spike!"

"TWILIGHT!" Spike yelled

"What?!" Twilight snapped back.

"We're gonna miss the train," Spike pointed out. The conductor was waving his hoof and letting ponies on board. "Oh, gosh!" Twilight said in frustration. It looked as if questioning the things that were off about the world would have to wait. She and Spike boarded and the train took off…


	2. Celestia's Secret

…After arriving in Canterlot, she and Spike made a beeline for the castle that had once been her home. The castle housed a school for special unicorns, and Twilight had not only made it in, she had been the princess's personal protégé. But those days were over now and she was going to be a guest. So she took a moment to compose herself before telling the guards at the door she had an audience with the princess.

After showing them Celestia's scroll, the guards opened the door. She and Spike maneuvered inside and began the long walk down the big hall to where the princess's throne room was. As they walked, it gave Twilight more of a chance to think. _Oh, no…what if she's called me here to punish me because I haven't written her? Or worse? What if she's called me here because I haven't been learning the magic of friendship quick enough?! What if I'm mentally incompetent in her eyes?! WHAT IF I'M NOT WORTH IT?!_

At this point, her eyes widened and flashed around the hallway. She barely noticed Spike in front of her as she berated herself for something that she hadn't seen any proof of. But this reality didn't make its way into her neurotic brain, which was now becoming overwhelmed with doubt about herself.

"Twilight?" Spike said.

"What?" Twilight said darkly. Spike was a bit taken aback by the tone of his friend's voice. "Uh…we're here." Suddenly, Twilight snapped out of her neurotic state and her voice returned to its normal self. "Oh, good. Let's go in, then."

The guards at the door once again needed proof that they had an audience, so Spike produced the scroll. "Hm…sorry, young one, but this isn't the princess's signature at the bottom," one guard pointed out, "see? The princess would never scrawl like that. I should know, because I write all of her return letters for her and she signs them in a very special way."

He pointed at the exit with his hoof. "Nice try, but not every tourist in Canterlot can get an audience with the princess. I'm afraid you'll have to leave."

"But, wait-" Twilight started

"No buts," the guard said sternly, "the princess is very busy with royal matters today and cannot be disturbed. Now, please leave."

Twilight turned, then stopped. "No, there must be a reason I received this letter. Please. I'm a good friend of the princess and her personal protégé from Ponyville. I'm Twilight Sparkle."

The guard's eyes bugged out. "You're Twilight Sparkle? THE Twilight Sparkle?"

"Um…yeah?" Twilight said confusedly. She didn't think she was such a celebrity. Sure, she and her friends had helped save Equestria a couple times, but other than that, she hadn't done anything of note. Surely nothing that would make this guard react this way.

"Why didn't you say so? The princess has been looking for you all day! Come in! Please, come in!"

The guard threw open the door and Twilight and Spike walked in. Celestia sat on her throne, her nose deep in a scroll of some kind when she noticed the pair walking towards her. Twilight and Spike bowed in respect as the princess smiled down at them. "Welcome, Twilight, my dear student. Welcome, Spike, my dear dragon friend. I take it you received my letter?"

Twilight spoke. "Well, yes, Your Highness, but…"

"But what, Twilight?"

"The guard at the door said it wasn't from you. He said the signature was wrong."

"Let me see the scroll," she said. So Spike gave it to her and she opened it and read it. "Oh, silly me. I must have signed it incorrectly. But I assure you, this letter is definitely from me and it is just as urgent as it sounded."

"What seems to be the problem, Princess?" Twilight asked. At this, the princess turned away from her. She seemed to be sad about something, although Twilight couldn't quite place what it was. She swore she saw tears dripping out of Celestia's eyes. "Um…Your Highness?"

Celestia turned and looked down at Twilight. She knew the news she had to give was heart rending, but she had to do it. "Twilight," she began, "you know the book 'The Movement' that I instructed you never to open?"

"Yes, ma'am," Twilight said, "I won't lie, I've been curious about it. But I've followed your instructions and I've never once looked in it."

"Good," the princess continued, "because it contains a deadly secret. A secret that, were it to fall into the wrong hooves, could lead to the destruction of Equestria as we know it."

"But, Princess," Twilight said, "what on earth could be so horrible?"

Celestia sighed. She didn't want to tell Twilight this. She never wanted to tell Twilight this. But at the moment her hooves were tied. She couldn't sit on this secret forever, what with so much evil still to come. She just wanted things to go back to the way they were. She wanted her dear student back. But, she knew that things could never go back.

"Twilight, come close, my dear, and sit upon the throne of Equestria with me" she said. Twilight moved in and sat next to her mentor. She couldn't believe she was sitting here. Every pony she knew wondered what sitting on this regal throne would be like, and here she was experiencing it. She loved the feel of the throne. She loved looking around the room and thinking that she was the ruler of Equestria. But, all the same, she knew she could never be ruler and that the country was in capable hooves with Celestia. So, she wondered why she was sitting there in the first place. Maybe it was symbolic of something.

"So…what exactly did you want to tell me?" She asked.

"Twilight, my dear student…and daughter," Celestia began…


	3. Devastating News

…Twilight's ears sprang up and her eyes bugged out. Now it was her turn to be as shocked as the guard at the door was. She nearly leapt out of the throne. _Daughter?! But, I have parents! I know them!_ She protested internally. Externally she said, "I'm your d-d-daughter?" She nearly fainted at those words. She couldn't believe that this was happening.

"Yes, Twilight, you are my daughter," Celestia said, "I had you out of…hoof lock and you were adopted."

"Hoof lock? As in 'pregnant without being married,' hoof lock?"

"Yes, dear. That's what out of hoof lock means."

Twilight gave her mentor, and now apparently mother, a stunned look. She didn't know what to do. Some part of her felt like laughing for joy, because she had always wondered why Celestia had taken such an interest in her. Now she knew. But then another part felt like crying. Here was Celestia, her mentor, one of the biggest parts of her life…lying to her. _Wait…lying? But Celestia would never lie! She's a good pony! No, not just a good pony, THE good pony!_

"I bet you're wondering why I've kept this from you," Celestia said softly, "but I, like you, am a mortal pony. I make mistakes…and I've made the biggest mistake of my life in keeping this a secret."

"Forgive me…mother," Twilight winced a bit as she called Celestia that for the first time, "but…I don't understand. What happened?"

Celestia got up from her throne and moved to a window across the room. There, she looked down upon Canterlot. The ponies who lived there went about their daily business, completely oblivious to the emotional scene now taking place in the throne room. With a wave of her hoof, Celestia dismissed the guards from the room and turned to face her daughter.

Memories of watching Twilight grow up from afar washed over the princess. She remembered the day she had given birth to this special young unicorn. However, with horror came the memory of the battle that had accompanied the birth. Now was the time for Twilight to be let in on the secret. Now, more than ever, mother and daughter needed to remain locked by both hooves and hearts.

Celestia sighed and began to spill her heart out to her shocked daughter, whose eyes grew wider and wider at the thought of her mother doing some of these things. "His name was Dorian, an earth pony," her mother began, "and he was the most handsome and intelligent stallion I had ever met. In all my years of ruling Equestria, I had never, ever fallen in love. But with him, it was love at first sight. Soon after meeting, we became inseparable and our love only grew. What we didn't realize was that our innocent love would soon turn into illicit lust. One night, we had been for a walk in the palace garden. He returned me to my quarters and turned to go to his when…I asked him to come inside. He looked nervous, but he did as I asked and went in. Before I knew it, I was asking him to mate with me."

She turned and looked at Twilight. Her eyes were as round as apples and her mouth had completely fallen open. The silence lasted for a minute or so as tension built between the two. Twilight felt completely betrayed. She felt as though she could never trust Celestia again! But she dared not raise her voice in the presence of the ruler of Equestria.

"That's why I asked you never to read that book," the princess went on, "The Movement, or The Movement to Defeat Celestia, Luna, and Twilight, took all of the royal family's most well kept secrets and wrote them down. I personally stopped them from publishing it en masse."

"Wait," Twilight said, "so…you stopped them from publishing it en masse in order to keep your secret about having me?"

"That wasn't all that was in there," Celestia said, "it also held a dark passage about your very future."

By this point, Twilight's brain was doing flips. She had no idea what to think! Here was Celestia, kind, good hearted, "always does the right thing," Celestia admitting she had made a mistake. What's worse, that mistake turned out to be Twilight herself! _So…does she think I'm…a mistake?_ Twilight thought as tears brimmed her eyes. She tried to wipe them away before the princess could see them, but to no avail.

"Don't cry, my Twilight," Celestia said soothingly, "I know you're probably thinking that I think you're a mistake. I want to assure you that nothing could be further from the truth. Mating with Dorian was a mistake. But having you was the best thing that could have ever happened to me."

Twilight looked up and once again her mouth fell open. Though this time, it wasn't in shock, it was in delight. Celestia had said that she was the best thing that ever happened to her! She felt like doing a dance then and there, but she forced herself to keep her hooves still. That didn't stop her from looking into her mother's eyes and smiling.

Celestia walked over, smiled back and, for the first time in their lives, they embraced as mother and daughter. Twilight felt that this hug was different from all the other times she had embraced Celestia as only her teacher. But then, all of a sudden, her mind went to a very dark place. What about the dark passage? What did that mean for her? What did it mean for her friends?

"Prin-er-mother," Twilight said, "what about this passage?"

Celestia's smile turned grim very quickly. Her mind raced. She knew she would have to tell Twilight eventually. She just wished it didn't have to be that moment. Of all the moments to reveal complete death and devastation to her own daughter, it had to be this one. Fate really was a cruel, cruel thing.

"Come and sit next to me, my love," Celestia said. So Twilight got off the throne and followed her mother back to the window. "You see, Twilight, throughout your life, I have always tried to get you to champion love and friendship and banish fear and evil. However, this will not always be so." With that, Celestia broke down and began sobbing loudly.

Now Twilight was scared. What could possibly happen? What could this be? What could possibly be so devastating that it would cause her mother, the noble and regal ruler of the land, to turn to such hysterics? Celestia turned and cast tear-filled eyes down at her daughter. _Oh, why?! Why does fate force my hoof? Why here? Why now? Oh, my precious Twilight…_ Out loud, she said, "Twilight…you will become very sick…and die…"


	4. The Beginning of the End

…Twilight couldn't believe it. "WHAT?!" She yelled. She couldn't help it. Her ultimate fears had been confirmed. Her heart burned as if on fire and her head ached. Her emotions spun out of control until she threw herself at the hooves of her mother and sobbed into her coat. "Oh, my dear Twilight…" Celestia said. She bent down and nuzzled her daughter's head. Twilight looked up at her as tears streamed down her face.

"Mother, what is this?! Why?! How?! I-I-I don't understand!" cried Twilight. Just the thought of dying scared her enough, but the thought of being permanently disconnected from the friends she held so dear broke her. Now her heart wasn't only burning, it was a full on inferno. All she could do was weep. Her tears stained her coat where they splashed. She sniffed and looked up at her mother.

"Twilight," Celestia said solemnly, "I have tried everything I know to change your destiny. It's why I made you my protégé, it's why I sent you to Ponyville, it's why everything in your life has happened. The day you were born was the happiest day of my life. Unfortunately, Nightmare Moon's dark magic filled the room as well as my light magic. When you came out of me, the dark magic and mine had a duel over which would. In the end, you were possessed…by both."

Twilight looked up as her mouth fell open again. She was possessed by Nightmare Moon? But, she had never heard of such a thing happening to any pony. "Mother…I don't understand. I'm possessed?"

"Possessed in a sense of having control of two kinds of magic. It's why your magic, when it happens, is more purple in color. It's somewhere between dark and light. It's also why I named you Twilight, because Twilight is the time between the bright light of day and the dark, yet luminous, time of night. It meant you were my daughter, but you also had your aunt's influence in you. It manifests itself in the form of your neuroticism."

"So that's why that crazy thing happened with my friends," Twilight said.

"What crazy thing?"

"Oh, that time that I kinda went a little overboard trying to get an assignment to you," Twilight said as she blushed heavily. Her mother couldn't help but smile at the memory. She had been furious with Twilight when she learned what she had done. But when she went to Ponyville to punish her, her friends had stood by her. She saw what a solid, dependable unit they had become. So she decided to forego the punishment on her daughter, and instead make all the young ponies write letters to her.

Suddenly, Celestia's smile disappeared and her mind returned to reality. She looked down at her daughter, who stared back up at her with confusion lacing her purple eyes. She wanted to comfort her. She wanted to protect her. She wanted with all her heart for this damning revelation to never come true, but she knew it would. Fate would see to that.

"Mother…" Twilight said shakily, "…how will this happen?"

Celestia's eyes brimmed with tears. "I don't know how it will happen. All I know is that the dark magic has won the battle inside you. Your friends will bear witness to all of this."

"My friends?" Twilight asked in disbelief. She didn't want her friends to witness her stubbing her hoof, let alone dying in a potentially painful way. "Twilight," her mother said, "your neuroticism will be your undoing. In your final moments, you will grow more and more disillusioned with the world around you. You will become paranoid. You may even drive all of your friends away."

Now Twilight was crying again. She couldn't imagine such horrible things happening to her. "But…what about Spike?" She asked between sobs. "Spike may run from you as well. Twilight…you shall become a monster, just as every other Unicorn has who has suffered from the Shining Horn Disease."

As she said this, lightning struck outside the castle, illuminating Twilight's shadow. As she turned around, she saw a ghoulish outline. She shrieked and ran. "Twilight!" Her mother shouted before running after her. Twilight ran through the castle of Canterlot. All she wanted was to get away from this. She wanted there to be nothing wrong. She wanted her friends back. She wanted things to be the same as they were before.

But she knew that Celestia wouldn't lie about something so serious. Her mind flipped even worse than before as darkness and neuroticism took over. She skidded to a stop, mouth wide open in a crazed smile. "No-no-no-no-no-no," she said rapidly, "this isn't…this won't happen." Here she began laughing crazily. "Celestia is nuts! She's crazy! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Celestia turned the corner to find her daughter laughing maniacally and rolling around in a ball. Spike skidded around the corner as well. "Twilight," her mother said calmly, "let's not be crazed about things, now." She fired up her horn and cast a spell temporarily removing the paranoia from Twilight's mind.

Once her mind cleared, Twilight came to. Everything had gone dark for a few seconds and she opened her eyes to find her mother and Spike looking down on her. Spike looked concerned. Her mother's eyes were filled with a feeling so unidentifiable that Twilight swore that she had frozen in time. "Twilight," Celestia said, "it has begun…"


	5. Delivering the News

…On the train ride back to Ponyville the next day, Twilight had a chance to do some thinking. Namely, about how she was going to change her destiny. She didn't want to die, but more than that, she didn't want to drive all of her friends away. With a sad sigh, Twilight looked out the window of her train car. It seemed that all of Equestria was out to do her harm. They passed through farmland and over rivers. They sped through endless seas of waving corn stalks. They drove past hordes of apple trees.

Yet none of these things excited Twilight. She knew when they passed those trees, that they were about to enter Ponyville. But how could she reveal to her friends the dark fate that awaited her? How could she, a lowly student pony, ever be strong enough to face death itself alone? Now, more than ever, she needed her friends to stand by her. She only hoped her sanity would remain intact long enough for her to share with them what they meant to her. No matter what happened in her head, in her heart they would always be friends. _Boy…that sounds really girly,_ she thought, _but it's true!_

By this time, the train had arrived at the depot. With a loud whistle and a puff of steam, it slowly crawled to a halt. Twilight and Spike moved out the door…and were suddenly slammed by a certain pink, hyperactive, party loving pony. "WELCOME HOME, TWILIGHT!" Pinkie Pie shouted in her usual way. "Ugh…" Twilight said, slowly getting back on her hooves, "thanks, Pinkie. It's good to see you."

"IT'S WAY BEYOND AWESOME TO SEE YOU!" Pinkie shouted again, then added in a quieter voice, "it feels like you were gone forever!"

"I was only gone for one day."

"Well…when you have a great friend like you, one day is enough to dampen the spirits of every pony around you!"

Twilight couldn't help but smile. Pinkie always had so much energy and enthusiasm. She got absolutely high on life itself, and Twilight figured that was the best thing to get high on. It certainly beat the grassy plants that some ponies had taken to smoking in direct defiance of a Celestia order. _No matter,_ she thought, _right now, I've got bigger fish to fry…like telling my friends about dying!_

"Pinkie," she said, "could you round every pony up? I've got something…rather…difficult to tell all of you. Meet me and Spike back at the library."

"Okey-dokey-lokie!" Pinkie said as she bounced away.

Twilight and Spike made their way from the train depot back to the library. At this point, Twilight's heart had been rejuvenated thanks to Pinkie's enthusiasm. However, that did not stop the nagging darkness that had settled there the minute her mother pronounced her demise. What she didn't realize was that her death would mean the death of all Equestria, for without her, the element of magic didn't work, and without that, the Elements of Harmony were useless, and without them, the Tree of Harmony, the very life blood of Equestria, would die, thus rendering all unicorn magic and Pegasus flight completely powerless.

Twilight sat down in front of her beloved book collection. She had read every single one of them, most of them two or three times, and she loved them all. Her passion for knowledge and learning had driven her to get as many books as she possibly could, but now they just looked like empty shells bound by nothing but time and the memories they held.

Suddenly, the door opened and in walked her friends Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and finally Pinkie. They all walked over and embraced Twilight, with cheerful greetings filling the room. Twilight was more than a little embarrassed at the outburst. Sure, she was just as thrilled to see her friends, but really, she hadn't been gone but one day.

"Um…thanks, guys," she said. A moment or two of rather awkward silence passed before Applejack broke it. "Uh, Pinkie said you had somethin' you wanted to tell us, sugar cube," she said in her thickly accented voice.

"Come closer," Twilight said, "I have some pretty shocking news. I just found out from Princess Celestia herself that I…am her daughter."

At once, every pony's mouth fell open. "WHAT?!" Pinkie shrieked.

"You can't be serious, darling!" Rarity said

"Well I'll be apple picked!" Applejack said

"Are you kidding me?!" Rainbow Dash shouted

"Oh…wow," Fluttershy said in her usual soft tone

"I am serious, guys. Celestia wouldn't lie to me."

"Well, if you ask me," Rainbow Dash said sarcastically, "she did a pretty good job of NOT lying to you and keeping the biggest secret of your life from you for years!"

Twilight didn't want to admit it, but Dash had a point. Celestia had kept this a secret from her. She had lied. She wasn't perfect. Twilight had always idolized Celestia, even to the point where she thought she could do absolutely no wrong. But today had proven otherwise.

"But that's not all," Twilight went on, "my mother told me that I hold possession of two types of magic: dark and light. That's why I'm purple."

"Wait, darling," Rarity said, "you're purple because you are both dark and light?"

"Yes. It's also why I'm named Twilight. Celestia gave me that name because the twilight is the time of day between the heat of the sun and the cool of the night, and I was the symbolic shared connection between my mother and my new aunt, Princess Luna."

They all gasped. "You mean the former Nightmare Moon's related to you?!" Applejack asked in shock. "Well…to be frank…yes," Twilight said. They all gasped again. "OK, this has officially gone way beyond insane," Dash said, "how many lies has Celestia told you?!"

Twilight turned from the group as tears filled her eyes. They stung and burned just like the truths Dash was telling her. She knew now that Celestia was somepony that couldn't be trusted. She knew now that she was not only related to the former Nightmare Moon, but also to a complete liar. But she didn't want to believe that. She wanted her mentor back. She was ecstatic that Celestia was her mother as well, but she was also angered that she hadn't told her the truth before.

But now, there were more pressing matters to attend to. So she wiped her eyes and turned back to her friends, who by now were having to use Rarity's magic to keep all of their jaws shut. Twilight almost laughed out loud at the interesting ways Rarity was doing this. Dash wanted to say more, but Rarity focused her energy and kept her mouth completely shut.

Twilight's small smile quickly turned grim and dark as she remembered the second part of the news. Oh, how she wanted to crawl away from Ponyville and all of Equestria! How she wanted to leave this terrible scenario behind and just run away with her friends! How she wanted so much…but there was no time for this.

"OK, here's the second part of my news," she went on, "I…am going to…to…" here she broke down crying, "…die," she barely choked out. This was cause for an even bigger gasp than before as Rarity's magic became powerless against their shock. Rarity's eyes brimmed with tears. Applejack took her hat off to hide her crying. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy began bawling and raced forward and threw their hooves around Twilight. Rainbow Dash sank to the floor. She wasn't crying, and her face carried a look as if she had just seen an apparition of some sort.

However, she was the first to speak. But when she spoke, her voice broke with a sadness greater than any she had ever known. This was worse than potentially never being able to join her favorite flying team, the Wonderbolts. This was worse than the time she accidentally made it rain when it wasn't supposed to and got yelled at by the entire town for it. This was worse than anything she had ever experienced.

"T-t-t-Twilight," she stammered, "you…you're not gonna die…are you?"

Twilight nodded silently as Pinkie and Fluttershy continued sobbing into her shoulders. At this point, Dash's eyes welled up and she broke down. The 6 friends all huddled into each other, with five of them sobbing at the thought of something so utterly devastating happening. Twilight was the only one not crying. She just held them, thankful to be in the company of good friends after receiving such heart wrenching news.

After a few minutes, they backed away. "So…what's gonna happen now?" Applejack asked, voice breaking. "I really don't know," Twilight said, "I really don't know…"


	6. Reactions

…The next few days around Ponyville were dark and rainy. It reflected the mood of the 6 friends who had cared so much for each other, yet were about to lose one of their own. Applejack went about her daily chores on the farm with much less vigor than she had been. Her sister Apple Bloom and her brother Big McIntosh were wondering what had made their beloved sibling turn so sad so quickly.

One day, Apple Bloom met her in one of the orchard groves and decided to ask her. "Applejack," she said, "what's goin' on? You've been mopin' and frettin' 'round worse than a cow with somethin' in its foot. Somethin's up, and I for one would like to know what."

Applejack turned to look at her sister. She didn't know whether or not to tell her. Apple Bloom was so young and innocent. How would the news of the impending death of a close friend affect her? Would she take it and run with it or would it devastate her to the point of never wanting to leave the house again? _She deserves to know,_ she told herself, _Twilight's taught her so much about friendship and the world. She deserves to know._

"Sugar cube," she said out loud, "Twilight's gonna be…gone soon." The last part of that phrase nearly choked her to death. Apple Bloom looked shocked. "Gone? Like gone on a trip?" Applejack shook her head. "No…gone like buried six feet under, have the funeral and remember her life, gone."

Now Apple Bloom's eyes welled up. "You mean Twilight's gonna…die?" All Applejack could do was sadly nod. Apple Bloom ran up to her sister and buried her face in her chest. "But why, Applejack?!" Came her muffled voice. She pulled her head back and locked eyes with her older sister. "WHY?!"

Applejack hugged her sister to her chest and stroked her mane with a hoof as her own tears fell. "I don't know, Apple Bloom," she said, "I just don't know."

Meanwhile, across town at Rarity's boutique, the blue eyed fashionista went about her business and tried to put the devastating news out of her head. She just couldn't fathom Twilight dying. She had never dealt with death before, so she didn't really know how to do it this time.

Then her sister Sweetie Belle came into the room. She, like Apple Bloom, had noticed that her sister had been quite out of it for the past few days and she was curious. "Rarity?" She asked. "Oh, Sweetie Belle," her sister replied, "um…yes, what is it, darling?"

"You seem absolutely, completely distracted about something and I wanted to know if I could help you with it."

Rarity looked down at her sister and tried to keep her tears from overflowing. She wanted nothing more than to hold Sweetie Belle close, share the news, cry and get it over with. But she knew that such sensitive news could be cause for a complete breakdown of the young filly standing before her. That was the last thing she wanted.

"Um…Sweetie, you know that I love you and I'd share the news with you, but…I'm afraid of what it would do to you," she said. She put on a fake smile, hoping it would pass with her sister and she could go on with her day. But that wasn't gonna happen.

"Do to me?" Sweetie Belle said, "but…what kind of news could be either so important or so unbelievably sad that it could possibly do anything to me?"

"Uh…er…well, Sweetie, it's just that…Twilight, you see…she's…she's…"

"Spit it out, Rarity!" Her sister said, impatiently.

Rarity's eyes lit up. She had found her way out! If she could just scold her sister for being so rude and change the subject, she might not have to give her the news at all. So she frowned at Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie, darling!" She said irritably, "I cannot believe the way you just spoke to me! Such impatience. We don't do that around here, Sweetie."

Now it was Sweetie's turn to frown. Her big sister always thought she was her mother. Why didn't she just tell her? _I bet it's something really exciting and fun, and I bet Applejack and Rainbow Dash have already told Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. She's just trying to boss me around again!_

 __Out loud, she said, "Rarity! First of all, you aren't the boss of me. Second of all, why won't you tell me the news?!" At this, all of Rarity's customers turned and stared. Rarity chuckled nervously before suddenly saying, "I just remembered! I have something very important to attend to before the day's through, so I'll be closing shop early today! I'm so very sorry, but it simply cannot wait another minute. Good day, everypony!"

The customers grumbled a bit, but left. Rarity closed and locked the door and turned to face her sister. How would she tell her? How could she tell her? It would break Sweetie's heart. She looked up to Twilight. She had told Rarity how much she wanted to be exactly like her one day! Twilight was everything to Sweetie Belle. She was almost like a second older sister.

"Look, Rarity," Sweetie said, "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what in blue Equestria is going on!"

"Uh…er…um…er…"

"That's what you said last time. I bet the news is really exciting and fun and you're not gonna tell me what it is to keep me from it! That's just like you, Rarity!"

"Twilight's going to die!" Rarity blurted out before quickly shutting up.

Sweetie Belle gasped and looked up at her sister. Her eyes widened in shock, and then quickly began closing back up as the tears came. Her lip quivered. "W-w-w-what?" She barely got out. Rarity couldn't stop herself anymore. She began crying as well. She pulled Sweetie Belle close and the two sisters sobbed on each other's shoulders for a few minutes.

Sweetie pulled out of the hug and looked up at her sister with her eyes puffy and red. "It's not true," she said in sad disbelief, "please…please…please tell me this won't happen, Rarity."

"I'm afraid it is true, darling," Rarity sniffed, "but we must be strong for Twilight's sake."

"NO!" Sweetie Belle suddenly shouted, "THIS WON'T HAPPEN! I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN!"

With that she magically broke the lock on the door and burst from the store. She ran and ran and ran and ran, sobbing as she went. Rarity chased after her, trying to keep her own tears from blinding her. "SWEETIE BELLE?!" She yelled, "PLEASE COME BACK!" She knew exactly where Sweetie would go. She would go to the library where Twilight lived.

She followed her all the way there. Sweetie burst into the library and ran right up to Twilight before throwing herself over the surprised purple pony and bursting into tears. Rarity quietly followed her inside. "Please tell me this is all some kind of sick joke!" Sweetie Belle shrieked at Twilight, "PLEASE! PLEASE!"

Twilight knew what this was about. Ever since she and Rarity had become such good friends, Sweetie Belle had been a de facto student of hers. She had taught her a lot about magic and the lessons she was learning about friendship. Twilight's eyes softened and looked down with love and understanding at the young filly now crying on her shoulders.

"Please…" Sweetie Belle said softly, "please…tell me you aren't going to…to…die."

"I'm afraid so, Sweetie Belle," Twilight said as tears filled her own eyes, "I know this is horrible, but we have to remain strong through this."

"THAT'S WHAT RARITY SAID," Sweetie bawled, "BUT I'M NOT STRONG! I'M TOTALLY WEAK!"

"That's not true," Twilight said comfortingly, yet firmly, "you are incredibly strong. I've seen that first hoof. I need you to be strong for me…please."

Sweetie took a step back and wiped her tears. There in front of her stood a pony she had looked up to ever since meeting her. All the things Twilight had taught her. All the things she had done for her. Would they all be for naught? Would everything come crumbling down? Would she forget about Twilight? Why did this have to happen? Why? Her only question was "why?"

So she looked up at the pony she thought knew everything and asked it. "Twilight, why?" Twilight looked down at her de facto pupil. She remembered the day she had met Sweetie Belle, when Rarity had brought her to the library for the first time. Sweetie had been so interested in Twilight's magic books, so curious as to the properties of things that she knew nothing about.

Twilight couldn't help but smile at the memory. Sweetie had accidentally knocked over one of her most beloved and fragile books, and she was going to scold her for it. But then she saw her turning the pages, completely entranced with what she was reading. The two had gotten into a two-hour long discussion about the book, and Twilight had helped her with some simple spells.

But on this subject, Twilight was quite illiterate. She knew nothing about death nor what lay ahead for her friends and family. So she answered honestly, "I'm afraid I don't know, Sweetie Belle." The look on the young filly's face became even more devastated. Twilight understood that look. She was scared, and wanted so many answers to questions that were probably unanswerable. "I just don't know…"


	7. The Sickness

…Before the ponies knew it, Twilight became sick. At first, it was just a low grade fever and everypony was relieved. But then the fever became worse and worse. Twilight took to bed for days at a time with her energy completely zapped. Through this, Spike was ever at her side, constantly bringing her whatever she needed.

One day, her friends popped by for a visit. Fluttershy was a tad nervous about seeing Twilight in this condition. "But what if she's…gone mad or turned into some kind of monster?" She asked. "Relax, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash replied, "Twilight won't have turned into anything else."

"Yes, darling," Rarity said, "Twilight hasn't changed since she became sick. I highly doubt she's changed now."

At this, Spike came running out of the library with a look of dread on his face. "Guys!" He said briskly, "I'm so glad you're here! Maybe you can talk some sense into her!"

The ponies and dragon all ran inside and up to Twilight's bed. In the bed lay not the kindhearted, organized, wonderful pony they knew and loved, but a dark soul. Her coat had changed from its lustrous purple to a horrid mixture of hellish orange and black. Her eyes were wide and crazed and her mouth hung open in a silent scream of unknown origin. Fluttershy shivered with fear. This wasn't the Twilight she loved and adored as a friend. This was a completely different pony!

Twilight, or the shell of Twilight, slowly turned and regarded her company. Spike spoke to her slowly. "Twilight? It's me, Spike, and your friends. Don't you recognize them?" Twilight's now orange eyes flared a bit. "I AM NOT TWILIGHT!" She suddenly shrieked with the voice of a thousand hell hounds, "I AM FLAMELIGHT! I AM THE END OF ALL THINGS!" At this, fire shot from her mouth and her friends had to duck out of the way screaming.

They got back up as tears began filling their eyes, both from fright and from sadness. How could the wonderful friend they had come to know have grown into something so utterly evil? "We knew this would happen," Applejack pointed out sadly, "we just didn't know she'd be so malicious."

Suddenly, a flash of light emanated in the room and out from it stepped Princess Celestia herself. Immediately, the ponies and Spike went to a full bow. "Thank you," Celestia said, "but there is no time for formality." So they got back up and looked at Celestia, each of them silently pleading for her to save their sick friend.

Celestia seemed to read their expressions. "I'm sorry," she said solemnly, "but there is nothing I can do for Twilight. This is what happens when evil darkness completely takes over somepony. They turn into something they're not. The real Twilight is in there somewhere, but unfortunately…" here she began crying, "…she will never, ever come out again."

Fluttershy and Rarity couldn't hold back any longer and began sobbing. Celestia put a comforting hoof around each of them and allowed them to cry for as long as they needed. Applejack took her hat off in sadness and Rainbow Dash shed a few tears. Spike walked up to the princess and dared to nuzzle her flank a bit. Celestia bent her head and put it lovingly around the young dragon.

"Wait a minute," Applejack said, "since you came in here, that there monster hadn't attacked us once."

"Yes," Celestia said, "I have created a magic bubble of invisibility around us. Twilight cannot see or hear us. This will give me time to tell you what I told Twilight just a few weeks ago."

"What's that?" Rarity asked, wiping away her tears.

"Twilight…is my daughter," Celestia said sadly.

The others looked at her funny."Your Highness," Fluttershy said, "forgive us for looking this way, but…Twilight told us that a few weeks ago."

"Oh? I'm sorry. I didn't know you were aware" the princess responded kindly, "but it's true. She is my daughter, and having to watch the results of the mistakes I made in the past killing somepony I love so dearly are crushing my spirit. I fear I will not last."

The others gasped. "NO!" Fluttershy said, "we're already losing Twilight! We can't lose you too!"

Celestia looked at her sadly. Watching Twilight die was driving her to the point of suicide, but then she remembered the ponies she was responsible for. She remembered how much she cared for Equestria and the ponies who lived there. Still, though, her spirit was damaged beyond repair.

"Do not worry, dear Fluttershy," she said, "I'm not going anywhere. I have thought about suicide over the past few days, but…I have so much more I must do before I go. I cannot leave this land. I care too much for it."

Fluttershy smiled a bit. At least Celestia wasn't going to die. It was heart rending enough to lose Twilight. "So, Your Majesty," Applejack said, "what happens to Twilight now? I mean, is she in pain?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Celestia responded, "she's in a tremendous amount of emotional pain. The battle raging inside of her right now is immense, and the good Twilight is losing to the bad Flamelight. Flamelight is basically Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker put together."

"Daybreaker?" Fluttershy asked

"My evil side," Celestia said. Once again, the other ponies gasped. Celestia had an evil side? "I don't like to speak of it," the princess went on, "but that side does exist. Since my daughter has a combination of both my magic and my sister's magic stored inside of her, when she is driven to the point of insanity, Flamelight emerges. That's why I intervened so quickly the day she enchanted her doll and the whole town was fighting over it. I did not want Flamelight to emerge."

"But…does that mean we all have evil sides?" Dash asked

"We all have the capacity to do the wrong thing," Celestia said, "but in my case, my magic is so powerful that it can manifest itself as a completely different pony. That pony has only one thing on its mind: fear. It will use it to get whatever it wants."

"So…we can't stop it?" Applejack asked.

"I'm afraid not, Applejack. It has grown too powerful. If I would have been here during the fever stage of the sickness, I might have been able to do something, but I was not notified until just before I got here. I don't blame any of you for it, it just took a long time for the message from Spike to arrive. Even so…if I had made different choices along the way, we wouldn't be facing this right now."

The ponies looked at each other with devastation painted all over their faces. Pinkie Pie's normally puffed up mane drooped in sadness. Rarity began crying all over again in Celestia's loving embrace. All the other ponies walked up to the princess and the group hugged and cried for a few minutes. It seemed like hours, and it seemed as if their tears would combine to form a river ten times longer than the longest in Equestria.

Suddenly, Celestia spoke up. "We must be strong now, for Twilight's sake," she said as she wiped her tears away, "no matter what happens, we must stand firm and support her." The others nodded as they stood back to their hooves. "Come," the princess said, "let's be near her. Now more than ever, she needs her friends." With that, she removed the bubble and they turned to face the monster formerly known as Twilight...


	8. In the Mind

…As they maneuvered their way back beside the bed, they gasped once again at the figure that now lay there. The monster that had taken over their friend was snarling at them, almost begging them to come closer so she could do them harm. "Wait, everypony," Celestia said, "I'm going to make sure this is safe." So she drew upon her power and created a bubble for them to walk in.

They walked right up to the new Twilight, who slashed her hooves at the bubble, but couldn't break it. Fluttershy looked sadly at what was once her friend. She couldn't believe that Twilight could turn into something so horrible. Twilight had always been so kind and so loving. Sure, she had her moments of weakness, but then again, didn't everypony?

Suddenly, all of their eyes flashed white and they were drawn out of the room. They flew through the fabric of space and time itself, caught up in some kind of unnatural wind. "Princess Celestia!" Applejack called. Celestia managed to turn and look at her, silently telling her to speak. "What the hay's goin' on?!"

"It's a spell!" Celestia shouted back, "just hang on tight and everything will be fine!"

As if like clockwork, suddenly they all found themselves standing in the middle of a library. The shelves were crammed full of books. The ceiling was made of grey smoke, and the floor was a checkerboard pattern. The ponies all looked around curiously. The room seemed to be endless, disappearing into the darkness a long way off.

There was a stairway in the middle of the room that apparently led to nowhere. Suddenly, the ponies and the dragon caught movement at the top of the flight. The figure rose, glowing as it did. Then it revealed itself: it was Twilight. She smiled down at them. Her beautiful purple eyes glowed with radiance. It caused a warm feeling to course through everypony, even Celestia.

Twilight was bedecked in a golden gown with a matching crown to boot. She looked regal, dazzling, and solemn in the best way. She slowly descended the stairs before coming out at the bottom. She stood for a moment looking at her friends, then broke into another smile. "Welcome, my friends," she said with a voice clear as day and smooth as silk. The ponies smiled. This was the Twilight they knew and loved.

"I am sorry for the forced way with which I brought you here," Twilight continued.

"Yeah, um…where exactly is 'here'?" Applejack asked.

"This is my mind," Twilight said, "and it used to be filled with knowledge and the sunshine of my friends. Now, all that's left are the books I know and the grey clouds of impending death."

At the sound of her voice, all the ponies felt like crying again. It was so amazing to hear the difference between this smooth, sweet vocal pattern and the horrific screaming that had come from her evil counterpart. "Please, Twilight," Fluttershy said, "please tell us you're going to be OK."

Twilight looked down sadly. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy," she said, "but my fate is certain. Death shall be the end for me." Once again, her friends tried to hold back tears. "But cheer up," Twilight suddenly said, "you'll make a new friend to take my place, and I know that they'll be wonderful!" She beamed at them.

"You sure are happy for a pony who's about to go the way of my Ma and Pa," Applejack said, "I mean, doesn't dying scare you?"

Twilight nodded a bit. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared of dying. I think everypony is. But what brings me joy are the memories of being with you. Every single one of you means so much to me, and no matter what's going on out there, in here you'll always be my best friends."

The other ponies ran up and hugged her, including Celestia. Their tears stained her gown, but truth be told, she relished each stain. Every tear drop represented something different. A memory made, an adventure had, a lesson learned. Each stain represented "liquid pride" as her brother called it. Every one of these ponies had her best interests at heart. They were truly her friends.

The ponies huddled for a minute before backing away. Fluttershy looked up at Twilight. She noticed that Twilight was absolutely beaming, even to the point of glowing. "Twilight," she said, "how were you able to transport us in here?"

"It's a newer spell, one I just learned before I became sick," she said, "I learned it on purpose just in case that evil, malicious Flamelight took over."

"Has that monster been inside you this whole time?" Rarity asked

Twilight nodded. "There's a monster inside each one of us. It represents all of our anger, frustration, fear and other negative emotions. Truth be told, it's not wrong to let those emotions out once in a while. Unfortunately, when the Shining Horn Disease takes over a unicorn, those emotions come out all at once and the monster ends up eating its hapless victim."

"So…you're already dead?" Dash asked

"No, but I might as well be. The monster has taken complete control of my physical functions. I can't fight it."

"But there has to be some way!" Dash suddenly yelled, her voice echoing throughout the chamber, "there's gotta be some way to turn things around! There always is! What about the Elements of Harmony or some other magical artifact? Can't we save you?!"

Suddenly, Celestia spoke up. "I'm afraid we can't save her, Rainbow Dash. As much as it hurts my heart to say goodbye, it is something we must all face."

The mood turned grimmer than usual with the realization that this would be the final time they would see their beloved friend. Dash ran back to Twilight and threw her hooves around her. "NO!" She wailed, "I WON'T LET THIS BE IT! I WON'T LET THIS BE THE FINAL TIME!"

She sobbed into Twilight's shoulder, but Twilight gently removed her. "Dash, my dear friend, please don't cry for me. There are other ponies out there."

"But there aren't any like you! You hold this friendship together! You're the element of magic! Without you, there is no friendship!"

"Dash," Twilight said softly, "you're wrong. Your friendship is as strong and as vibrant as it ever was. Even without me, you'll continue that journey."

Dash looked up at Twilight and her eyes betrayed the soft spot in her heart she had for her friend. She had built up a tough exterior and tried to drive away the tears and fears for a future without Twilight, but she just couldn't. She bent over and quietly sobbed into Twilight's shoulder.

"Oh, Dash…" Twilight said soothingly.

"I can't lose you," Dash said, "you…you're my best friend."

Twilight smiled. "But you have other friends standing right there behind you. Turn to them, and they'll help you through this time."

Dash turned and looked at the others. She didn't want to admit it, but she was scared to death. She had always gone to Twilight when she had a problem she couldn't solve. Twilight seemed to know everything. But here…here she wasn't sure she had a friend she could turn to when things got rough. Fluttershy might work, but she was frightened by leaves falling. Applejack was always busy, as was Rarity, and Pinkie Pie was just insane.

"I…I…I just can't do this," Dash said, "I don't want you to die. Please tell me that this is all some kind of nightmare and Princess Luna will wake me out of it! Please!"

"I'm afraid not," Twilight said, "you need to accept that this is happening, Dash. It's the only way you'll ever be able to be happy again. I want nothing more than for all of you to be happy again. I want you to find another friend to fill my spot. Please."

Dash backed away and rejoined the others. Tears still streamed out of her eyes. The other ponies took a final look at Twilight as she went back to the staircase and ascended it. Once she reached the top, a door appeared in front of them. "This is your future," Twilight said, "and I don't know what's on the other side. What I do know is that there will be more friendships to be made, and I want you to make them. Please."

Celestia took a look at her daughter standing there. This was the pony she had wanted Twilight to be. This was what she had so diligently taught her over the years. She wanted Twilight to learn the true value of friendship, and it appeared as though she had. "Twilight, my love," she said silently, "I will never, ever forget you." With that, she led the other ponies through the door and back into the room where this had all started…


	9. The End

…When they returned from Twilight's mind, they turned and looked at the beast that had overtaken her. It lay perfectly still, its mouth hung open in a final snarl. Blood flowed out of its mouth. Celestia walked up to it and put a hoof up to its neck. She began crying. "She's gone," she managed to get out.

The other ponies walked up and joined hooves around their fallen companion. By this point, their sadness had gone beyond just crying. Each of them felt as if their very soul were breaking, especially Rainbow Dash. Gone was the kind friend they had come to know and love. Gone was the pony who had joyfully participated in so many things other ponies like her would have turned their nose up at. Gone was the pony who had taught them so much about life.

Now in her place lay a corpse they did not recognize. The hellish paint that had infected her coat seemed to laugh at them as it drew away her final existence. Celestia stepped forward, wiping away a few tears. Her horn shone with magic and suddenly, the evil coat disappeared, leaving behind the beautiful lavender that they had grown to know. "There," Celestia said, "now she will be ready for burial."

"But, Your Highness," Fluttershy said, "how did you do that? I thought she would never change back to the way she was"

"A mother's love is not so easily stopped," Celestia said, "also, when Shining Horn Disease creates something evil and destroys something beautiful, only after the destruction can true beauty be restored to it."

"Wait a minute," Applejack said, "so what you're sayin' is, the only way that Twilight would ever have her old coat back…was for her to die?"

Celestia nodded sadly. "That is the way of Shining Horn. It takes away the best of what a unicorn has and replaces it with the absolute worst. That continues until it takes over the host's body and completely destroys it. After death, another unicorn's magic can be used to reverse the process. Unfortunately, no amount of magic can restore life itself."

They all turned and looked down at Twilight. She looked very peaceful, almost as if the acceptance they had all seen inside her mind had spread to her entire body right before she passed. In a way, they were all happy that this was the Twilight they were looking at now and not the horrible monster that had attempted to kill them.

"So what happens now?" Rarity asked.

"We continue with life," Celestia said, "it's what Twilight would want. Also, I think you have some new friends to make, like she said. Find somepony to fill the void in your group. I, like Twilight, know that there are some amazing ponies out there who would definitely fit the ticket, as it were."

At this point, Dash couldn't take it anymore. She threw her hooves around Twilight and sobbed into the dead pony's shoulder. "I don't want anypony else!" She yelled hysterically, "I want Twilight back!"

Celestia stepped forward and offered a comforting hoof, which Dash accepted. "It's going to be OK, Rainbow Dash," she said, "I know this is difficult. Believe me. This is crushing my heart. But I also know that Twilight would want all of us to keep going and keep believing in the amazing friendships we have made."

Dash looked up at the ruler of Equestria and wiped her tears. She gave a somber look to Twilight as she reluctantly allowed herself to be led from the room by her friends. "Come," Celestia said, "we must prepare for her funeral." With that, they shut the door on Twilight's body and on this chapter of their lives. As for what came next, none of them could say. After all, no pony knows the future; and, to be honest, they were all scared to death…


End file.
